I take a sip of my morning coffee. Sugary, just the way I like it. I flip the channels until I reach the news; the usual musk of false information and naive-bias boredom takes over as the announcer continues. I sit on the couch, a nice plush white all the way through. I'm waiting, waiting for the news to flip to my saving flip to calling me a hero. They are taking their time, surely wasting me and anyone watching. All that matters is that I get my spotlight and fame, and fortune. I wait for about five minutes, and my coffee is now cooler than before. My patients almost entirely ran up. I consider that I could call up there and complain, but that would give me away. It wouldn't be a great hero party if the hero is exposed or even shown to the world, and just as I shift in my cushion, it happens. Breaking news. Mass murder body found brutally beaten to death. There it is; I smile and nod my head back. I've won; I've done a great deed they will discuss for centuries. They will claim me to be the greatest god of all time. He continues.
"This seems to be one of the cases of the unnamed hero Deadmen. We have today one of the symbols carved on the victim's chest. A simple square cut out with a D-shaped inside. This mass murder was wanted by many within the southern states. And now may he finally rest."
The news anchor discusses how this drama could be a menace, how there could be many, and if what they are doing is truly the will of justice. Petty attempts to besmirch the great name. I've grown used to the negative comments from many sources. Some claim that I'm some ultimate demon cast from a different time. Others claim I'm the will of God. How can I be the will of a man I've never met? Isn't it ironic they have yet to understand that I am god, not some image of him? But in this day and age, what can you do? It didn't always use to be like this. I used to be called a villain, and still, they want to catch me they never will. I've seen the tools they use to hunt. I've seen the eyes of men who have killed far worst. They expect me to be some criminal. They don't get that I blend in; I fade away. Even if they singled me out, no one could tell the difference. I have no criminal record. No history of violence. I never needed to be medicated or anything like that, yet I'm the only one who sees the truth. That these animals are of entertainment. We must watch them in their natural habitat and observe the murders. Then cleanse them of their failures. I let the news voices drown out while I shift to my computer. The anchor now has shifted to more recent crimes in the area. I load up the access to the police database and scroll through. As he describes the perpetrator, I try to match the connecting dots. Failing the police academy couldn't have been a better plus for me. Due to that, I got access to a small window of what the police had behind closed doors. Only a glimpse, mostly stuff shown to the public but with added access. They walked me right into the server room, and all I needed to do was fake a simple fall shove my USB in, and let the magic do its work. I have at most two months before the servers reset, and they find the USB, so I must use that to find as many criminals as possible. Starting with the one on the news now. His name is The Animal. Given to him by his animalistic nature and the vile way he slaughters a person. Police suspect he drags them into the woods and ties them up to trees, and defiles their bodies. After having fun, they speculate that he lets all types of animals take advantage of the poor woman. I've noticed he only takes female prey, and his areas of bodies found have been nearby. Which means he's in the area, and he loves the women. Since so many bodies are found, I can only assume he must be attractive somehow. Lastly, since the bodies mostly wear civilian clothes, he must attack while on dates with these females. Adding this info with the general area of males matching what the news gave me, it clicked. His next target will be a coffee shop near my house. But when that's the biggest question, when will he strike? The coffee shop is the former place I must head to confirm if it's a viable hunt for him. I'm sensing a low chance, but it could be what I need. I take off with the wind behind my back and full sails ahead. I must act quickly. He could strike at any moment. Then I'll miss my big day miss my big moment. As I head there, a million things race through my mind. What if I'm too late? What if I'm wrong? What if? Questions continue as I fly down the road ignoring all safety laws. I must catch this bastard; I must not lose. I make it there in record time. The entrance is like any other coffee shop as I enter. The sign above reads some southern names with coffee shops after it, nothing for me to notice nor even try to pay attention to. I walk in, sit down, and order. As I wait, I scan the room; it seems light today like no one is there. I ordered the same style of coffee I had this morning. A lot of sugar keeps me going; as I sip, a man enters after the lady leaves. He walks to the counter and receives a smile from the waitress. A regular? Perhaps a family member, the woman leans in as she hands him his drink. He didn't even have to ask; his chances of being a regular more than a family member skyrocketed. I'm thinking a 70% chance of that happening. She whispers something into his ear, and his whole demeanor changes. I smell it in the air. It reeks off of him now. The smell of a man in lust. I've found my killer. I've found the man who has killed these women, and he aims to kill again. He aims to kill this waitress. A smile so wide flashes upon my face, a smile so strong. He doesn't even know I'm on his tail; he doesn't even know he's being followed. The excitement rushes through me and rushes to my brain. It's enough to make me climax. I feel like a nudist running free for the first time, a child who got his first toy. A man who saved up and bought his first car. I feel free, free enough to jump on this table and sing. Yet I can't, I've lost myself in the moment, and they are out the door. I hurry behind them after leaving the required amount for my coffee. I've got to catch this man in the act.